5-05-2013 10:21pm

A Day For Volunteerism and Civic Improvement in Saline

Saturday’s weather was perfect for a couple events that celebrated volunteerism and civic improvement.

Volunteers cleaned up Brecon Park, planted a couple of Spruce trees and then city officials officially opened the new non-motorized trail that connects Brecon Park and the Saline District Library.

A small group of neighbors and friends from the Saline Parks Commission rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty during the cleanup of Brecon Park, the six-acre neighborhood park that features a little league diamond, basketball court, and playground equipment.

According to Saline Parks and Rec Director Carla Scruggs, the city’s Department of Public Works provided a small to-do list and the volunteers went to work.

Volunteers included families, like the Taylor family.

“My dad (Marc) is on the parks commission and he told me about the cleanup and I did it last year too. It was work, but fun, too,” said Tori Taylor, a Saline High School freshman, who spent the morning cleaning leaves and brush from a fence line.

Wallace Street resident and real estate agent Jay Hyde heard about the event and made up flyers and delivered them to his neighbors.

“I come to the park often and saw this as an opportunity to help out in the neighborhood,” said Hyde.

Volunteers pulled out overgrown weeds near fences and painted the playground equipment.

At noon, many of the volunteers stayed and were joined by city officials in commemorating Arbor Day by planting to spruce trees. Mayor Brian Marl read his proclamation and Saline Youth Council Representative Kelly Hall read a poem before volunteers helped plant and water the trees.

At 12:30 p.m., the crowd moved down the new Brecon Park-Saline District Library Non-Motorized path toward Maple Road. After remarks by Mayor Marl, Saline District Library Director Leslee Niethammer and DPW Director Jeff Fordice, Kelly Hall formally opened the by cutting the ribbon.

Salinians can continue to help maintain the parks May 19 at Colony Park. Residents will help pull out garlic mustard. Last year, volunteers pulled out dozens of pounds of the invasive species.

“We’ve learned that if we pulled it out again it would go a long way to eradicating the problem,” said Scruggs.

The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.